0
Pull-thru
USFSPSICC · Colorado
Chalk Lake
Overview Chalk Lake Campground is located in beautiful Chaffee County, Colorado.
Sites1911 reservable
Elev.8,766ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rig30 ft
Electricnonesites
From Colorado Springs2h27real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 8,766 ft, Chalk Lake has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 9°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 19 sites total: 11 reservable and 8 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 3 named hiking routes, 3 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on cool nights and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jan
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
65%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 10
Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 24.
48°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Colorado Springs
107 mi
2h27
02
Denver
134 mi
3h05
03
Fort Collins
196 mi
4h11
04
Grand Junction
225 mi
4h28
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 7.7 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 19 SITES
Color byShow only
19 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
4
Accessible
0
Prime
19
Sites
★ The standout
Site 016
CHAL.
To neighbor
135 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
3
Trail segments
21
Peaks
3
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
7.7 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.